Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Perhaps it was out of sheer stubbornness.

Even after three at-bats, Paharo refused to step down from the mound.

It was a challenge to continue the game.

Perhaps the coaches also wanted to see more, so they allowed an additional at-bat.

'Not that I mind.'

There was no reason for Jeongwoo to refuse. He accepted the offer and continued.

Only after two more at-bats did he finally step down from the plate.

The result was a decisive victory for Jeongwoo.

Paharo was dazed.

The pitches that had deceived every batter he had faced.

The slider he thought would pave a smooth path for him.

It was broken so easily.

By a guy who had just switched to batting.

'Is this even possible?'

5 at-bats, 5 pitches, 4 hits, 1 home run.

A monstrous record.

All of them were extra-base hits, so in an actual game, he would have given up at least 4 RBIs.

If the starting pitcher didn't throw a shutout, he would have been the game's MVP.

He couldn't regain his composure.

He had intended to end the mini-game with three consecutive strikeouts.

Why did it turn out like this?

If he had made a mistake, he would have felt better.

But he had definitely hit the ball well.

There wasn't a single mistake during the at-bats.

That's why he felt even worse.

'Mierda!'

Paharo muttered a curse.

His eyes were fixed on the batter who was slowly walking back to the dugout, bat in hand, chatting with the catcher.

'What is this guy?'

Among all the batters he had faced, this one had the most awkward batting stance.

Why did the result turn out like this?

He was genuinely curious.

So he ran over.

"How did you hit it?"

"What?"

"My slider. How did you hit it?"

Jeongwoo looked at him for a moment, wondering how to respond.

If he were his usual self, he would have ignored or brushed off the question and walked away.

He wasn't the type to cause trouble, but he wasn't kind enough to give a detailed explanation.

But he didn't want to do that now.

The young pitcher's face, filled with despair, was quite effective on the veteran in his late 30s.

"Just looked good. Maybe my style matches well with your pitches. But your slider is well-developed. Don't be too disappointed. However..."

Jeongwoo, who had been calmly encouraging him, hesitated over the advice that came to mind.

Although his mental age was much higher, by age, they were similar or even younger.

Is it okay for me to give advice to this guy?

After a moment's thought, he finally spoke.

A pitcher he didn't remember.

He probably never made it to the majors.

'With just two pitches, it's almost impossible unless you're in the bullpen.'

Unless you're a big unit.

The possibility of a two-pitch starting pitcher succeeding in modern baseball is extremely low.

Gonzalo Garcia's pitches are excellent, but not as destructive as Randy Johnson.

So he will eventually stop progressing.

Even though he never got close to the majors.

Over the years, he had seen many such pitchers.

Reflecting on the faces that disappeared even earlier than his own, Jeongwoo finally spoke the words that had been on his tongue.

"However, you will face batters with bad matchups in the future. Even if not, there will be plenty of batters you can exploit. Or your repertoire and timing might be read."

Paharo's head spun at his words.

Without overwhelming skills, you will eventually be eliminated if there is no change.

Paharo understood the meaning of the words this way.

"Still, a slider like yours is rare. You can be confident."

If another batter had said this, Paharo would have been angry.

But because it was from a pitcher who had experienced setbacks and was starting a new path.

"...Thanks for the advice. Instead of calling me Garcia, call me Paharo."

He accepted it.

Paharo smiled gently and extended his hand. Jeongwoo took it.

xxxx

Scott was troubled.

It was just a mini-game, but the results were significant.

'All sliders.'

The source of the results was the slider.

After being struck out by a clean slider, Jeongwoo had exploited every slider that came his way.

"Lee, what happened? Did you practice with another pitcher?"

"Nothing else. Just... the ball looked good."

"Hmm..."

Just saying the ball looked good.

With the results, it was hard not to believe.

'I need to check more.'

What started as a simple way to gain experience might have uncovered unexpected talent.

Scott arranged several more at-bats with different pitchers.

From a pitcher starting in Double-A next season to one who was about to be released.

Jeongwoo's performance was inconsistent.

He hit consecutive extra-base hits against a Double-A pitcher.

But he easily swung and missed against a rookie's weak pitches.

It didn't matter if the pitcher was left-handed or right-handed.

After a rough check, Scott carefully reviewed the scorecard.

As expected.

'Good against breaking balls. Slugging percentage is 0.611. For breaking balls, he's at the Harding level.'

Vincent Harding.

The best hitter of this generation, known as the Flying Dutchman.

For breaking balls, his record was on par with Harding, and Scott smiled faintly.

In baseball, there are all kinds of people, and sometimes you find such a hitter.

A batter who strikes out in every at-bat against a league's worst pitcher.

But can hit a curveball from a Cy Young winner.

Lee was just like that.

Whether the ball broke outside or dropped suddenly in front of the plate.

As long as it didn't bounce, he exploited it.

Most of the time, it resulted in extra-base hits.

'Maybe he can play in games based on the pitcher?'

At this level, he could be a designated hitter, not just a pinch hitter, depending on the starting pitcher.

It felt rewarding.

Teaching a passionate player is a joy in itself.

But with results, the joy is doubled, or even tripled.

Of course, there were still many areas to improve.

But Scott finally felt the time had come.

'I need to talk to the manager.'

With good results, there should be appropriate rewards.

Scott thought so.

xxxx

Jeongwoo adjusted his batting stance in front of the mirror as usual.

Today, he felt a strange sensation.

It was only natural.

Tomorrow was his first game as a batter.

He had made the roster for this home series.

'Not as a starter, but he said he would definitely send me in as a pinch hitter. I should get at least one at-bat.'

Scott had said it himself.

It was reliable.

'With good mini-game results, I had high expectations, and they were met.'

Jeongwoo's heart raced.

This was the start of Jeongwoo the batter.

How he performs in tomorrow's game will determine his future.

If he fails miserably and can't even swing properly,

The next opportunity might not come for a long time.

Maybe not until next year, after being sent down as a rookie.

'This is important if I want to play in the remaining season.'

Jeongwoo skimmed through the materials he had received.

He had analyzed batter data many times, but this was his first time looking at pitcher data.

'The GreenJackets...'

The Augusta GreenJackets.

A Single-A team under the San Francisco Giants.

Currently third in the South Atlantic League, Southern Division.

'One step above us, as the Rome Braves are fourth.'

The GreenJackets don't have many league or division championships.

Not a particularly great team in league history,

But they have been on a good recent run.

'Especially their pitching staff is strong.'

With the season nearing its end, most of the Double-A pitchers have already moved up.

So the remaining pitchers are at the pure Single-A level, but their records are good.

The team ERA for the past month was only 3.24.

The starters are doing well,

And the bullpen is finishing strong.

Looking at the tough opponent with a stern face, Jeongwoo noticed something.

'The starter is likely Robin Dawson. A right-hander who mainly throws curves, with a mid-90s fastball. His record is good. The other pitchers... all throw curves. That's why they're sending me in.'

Through the mini-game,

Jeongwoo realized he had a special ability.

He is strong against pitches with a drop, and the GreenJackets' starters and relievers mostly throw curves.

It was a good matchup.

'They probably want to see if this works in a real game.'

Even if you hit 100 home runs in practice, it's all for nothing if you can't do it in a real game.

Understanding the intention behind his selection, Jeongwoo nodded.

He was confident.

Although he still had many areas to improve,

After hitting a few pitches, his confidence grew.

It might be false confidence,

But Jeongwoo didn't try to suppress it.

While it's not always good,

'It's the best medicine to relieve tension. Better to be a gorilla with a chest full of courage than to freeze in fear.'

Although he said that,

Jeongwoo maintained his confidence and reviewed the materials until the last moment.

He couldn't help but worry.

xxxx

"Lee! You made the roster. Are you playing today?"

"I guess. The manager will decide."

"They say they're good, but you should do well. You hit Paharo's pitch over the fence. Oh, do you know the Rabbit House restaurant on Ash Street? The tacos are really good. Want to go together next time?"

Sitting next to the dugout bench,

Jeongwoo shook his head at Paharo, who kept talking non-stop.

This funny guy had been chattering since the mini-game.

Pitchers usually stick with other pitchers, so why is he sticking to me?

Jeongwoo couldn't understand.

'But thanks to him, the last bit of tension is gone.'

At least it had that effect.

Jeongwoo was troubled.

He should have just said it was luck and ignored him.

The guy is a year younger,

But he's not bothered by the advice and is quite bold.

'Talking is good, but do it in English, in English.'

His mind was numb from the mix of Spanish and English.

He barely managed to focus when the opposing team's players entered the field.

'They're all new faces to me. It's rare for minor league players to make it to the majors.'

Like the Rome Braves players,

Jeongwoo felt the height of the majors anew with the unfamiliar faces of the opposing team.

Out of 6,500 minor league players, only a few make it to the majors.

Even fewer become starters.

Only the geniuses who survive the fierce competition make it to the big leagues.

'This time, I have to make it. Even if I crawl, I have to.'

Jeongwoo looked at the opposing team's players, thinking this.

To climb, even if I have to crawl,

I have to overcome the obstacles in front of me.

They are obstacles to Jeongwoo. Maybe they will be stepping stones.

xxxx

After a brief preparation, the game started, and it was a tight one.

The score was 0-0.

Already in the 7th inning,

Both teams combined had only 6 hits.

A bloodless pitchers' duel.

But unless it's of a very high level, there's nothing more boring in baseball than a pitchers' duel.

Especially when it's not full of strikeouts,

But a contest of who can strike out first.

Ground balls when they hit,

Fly balls when they hit high,

Looking strikeouts when they wait,

Double plays when there's a runner.

Both the Braves and the GreenJackets seemed to be cursed.

The batters were struggling.

Bored fans with no deep attachment to the game started to leave one by one.

The players even rested their chins on their hands to watch the game.

'This guy is out cold.'

Paharo, pretending not to, was dozing off with his cap pulled down.

In the quiet stadium, Jeongwoo was anxious.

'If one side takes the lead, it'll be easier to play.'

Even though Scott had promised,

He couldn't relax.

If the game remains close, and the manager wants a higher ranking in the 3rd or 4th place battle,

He might not get a chance to play.

So he was uneasy, but he looked at the game with a blank expression as usual.

Being calm is more appealing to the coaching staff than being anxious.

He wasn't the type to show much emotion anyway.

The manager, who was looking for a calm face, noticed Jeongwoo.

'To take the lead, we need a big hit...'

Although it's the end of the season,

It's the minor leagues.

Both the upper management and fans focus on player development.

The ranking doesn't matter much, but the manager feels differently.

No matter what, it's his team, so he wants to win.

'The opposing pitcher is tiring. We need to exploit him before he's replaced... Hmm-'

The manager looked around the dugout, checking the faces of potential pinch hitters.

His gaze landed on Jeongwoo.

'Lee is focused on the game. He's a good walk guy.'

Even if he doesn't do well,

From a manager's perspective, a good walk guy is valuable.

So he wanted to give him a chance.

'He's good against breaking balls. I saw him handle curves well.'

Right-handed Robin Dawson with a curve as his out pitch.

Left-handed Lee, who can handle breaking balls well.

It was a good match.

The manager, deep in thought, finally made a decision.

His conclusion was:

"Lee, get ready."

"Huh?"

"You're up next."

It was Jeongwoo's first appearance.